Garth of Tregillis (25 page)

‘Yes, yes,’ I had answered impatiently. ‘And now go and wash your hands before tea: you’ve hardly time.’ Satisfied, she had slid down from her chair and had raced away.

It was now only too clear why Melinda had questioned me so closely on my preferences and had slyly encouraged me to opt for a Marie Antoinette costume. I was convinced that at that time she had already known what Armanell’s costume was. She had been spying, as usual, and had perhaps, through her spy hole in the secret panel, seen her try it on. As a revenge on Armanell she had told her uncle that I longed for a Marie Antoinette costume.

But this was all conjecture on my part, and I certainly couldn’t hint anything of this to Armanell.

‘I didn’t know what costume you were going to wear: how could I?’ I protested.

‘Of course you knew,’ she snapped. ‘You were prowling about in my suite when I was out, making sure you’d be able to lay your hands on my jewels when the time came.’

‘What on earth are you talking about?’ I gasped.

She made no reply, but turned to my dressing-table and began to pull out the drawers and spill the contents on the carpet. Like a whirlwind she moved from one article of furniture to another, dragging the shelves out of my wardrobe and spilling my hats and silk head-squares on the floor.

I watched helplessly, knowing it would be impossible to stop her. One might as well try to call halt to a stormy and raging sea.

I could hardly believe my eyes when she reached in the bottom of my wardrobe and drew out a beautiful jewel-box of Italian leather-work in moss green intricately decorated in gilt. She turned the tiny golden key that was in the lock and revealed a jumble of glittering bracelets, ear-rings and rings. ‘I hope—for your sake—

that everything is here,’ she said significantly as she ran her fingers through the articles.

She looked up, her face grim and ugly. ‘Yes, here is my jewellery, but where is my diamond necklace? Don’t tell me you have the effrontery to think you’ll get away with this. Give it back to me immediately! If you don’t I’ll send for the police whether Garth likes it or not.’

‘I don’t know how it got there,’ I said, through stiff lips. ‘I’ve never seen it before. I didn’t even know you had a box like that.’

She laughed ironically. ‘No, of course not! But then you’d be a fool to admit it, wouldn’t you—and you’re anything but a fool. I’ll give you credit for that. In fact you’ve been singularly clever up till now. But even the most brilliant strategist can make a mistake, and you’ve made yours by trying to steal my jewels. Apart from everything else, it will very definitely put paid to your plans regarding Garth. I’m sure he’ll be pretty interested to learn the type of girl he has taken under his roof—especially when he had such touching faith in your integrity!’

She caught up the jewel box and before I realized what she had in mind or could do anything to prevent her she swiftly transferred the key to the other side of the door. ‘That’s in case you’re thinking of a sudden departure,’ she said suavely as she closed the door behind her and I heard the key turn in the lock.

So she was not even going to let me be present to defend myself, I thought with a rising sense of panic. And I knew how convincingly she would put her case.

Garth too would no doubt be only too willing to believe her.

After all, I had already admitted to being at Tregillis under false pretences.

Then suddenly I remembered the secret panel. I could easily slip along the passage and reach the picture gallery.

I knew that Garth was waiting in the hall for the first of his guests to arrive. Somehow or other I must find out exactly what Armanell intended to say to him. I had no compunction about eavesdropping as I pressed the sides of the panel and slipped into the secret passage. After all I had a right to defend myself. My whole future happiness lay in the balance.

When I emerged at the picture gallery, to my relief, it was deserted. The prim lady and her bulgy-eyed dogs seemed to regard me with glassy disapproval as I tiptoed to the head of the stairs and peeped down. The hall was flooded with brilliant light, but it appeared empty. Then as I inched forward I could see Garth standing in the doorway of the library talking to someone whom I couldn’t see.

Dressed in the eighteenth-century costume of Count Axel Fersen he looked remarkably handsome. I watched him eagerly from my vantage point, able to study him without dreading that my face would reveal all too plainly my feelings for him.

Then Armanell moved into view. She had evidently been pacing the hall agitatedly. I could see her hands waving as she emphasised a point.

‘... so it explains, of course, why she was never like other governesses. Why she had loads of money to spend on expensive dresses. She came here deliberately to spy in the house. She must have known of the Chalandon diamonds. I’m certain she’s working for a gang of international jewel thieves. That would explain too why she’s studying languages—she’d need them in her business.

You were too careless to accept her on her qualifications and not insist on proper references. You knew nothing about her, except that she’s pretty—in a kind of a way.’

‘Perhaps I know more about her than you imagine,’ he returned.

‘Then perhaps you’d use your knowledge to get her to hand up my necklace,’ Armanell said acidly.

‘What exactly do you propose I do?’ Garth asked coolly.

‘See that she’s flung out of Tregillis immediately. I imagine that the threat of arrest would make her produce the necklace. Not that you need go so far—after all, we don’ t want a scandal.’

‘No, we don’t, do we!’

I watched Garth, my heart beating furiously. It was impossible to tell from his impassive reception of Armanell’s news exactly what his reactions were. He would, after all, have no reason to doubt her story and if he should question me I should have to admit she had found the jewel-box in my wardrobe: to deny knowing it was there would sound pretty feeble.

I felt my heart sink as Garth crossed to a table, opened her jewel-box and almost absently ran his fingers through the shining hoard. ‘Your necklace was very valuable, of course.’

Armanell tossed her head. ‘Naturally! You don’t think I’d wear fake jewels, do you?’

‘No, of course not. It was stupid of me to ask. I should know your tastes by now, shouldn’t I?’

I got the impression that Armanell was faintly uneasy at the ambiguousness of his remark. ‘What you don’t seem to know is that Judith hates me. She’s envious, of course, and would do anything to put between us. You may not be aware of it, Garth, but you have changed towards me: things are different between us—

and it has something to do with that girl.’

She resumed her restless pacing. ‘What are you waiting for? I want to wear that necklace tonight. Make her tell you what she has done with it and then get rid of her.’

It was at this moment that Melinda suddenly erupted into the hall. ‘Don’t send Miss Westall away, Uncle Garth,’ she shrilled. ‘I heard what the Comtesse said and it isn’t true. It was she who put the jewel-box in Miss Westall’s wardrobe: I saw her!’

Armanell stiffened. ‘What a little liar the child is,’ she grated.

‘You surely don’t believe her. Why should I do such a thing? It would be utterly senseless. Anyway, there was no one about—’

She stopped, appalled, as she realized her slip, and I saw Garth regard her steadily as Melinda babbled on, unaware of Armanell’s revealing remark.

‘I was in the secret passage and I watched you take the box out of your drawer. Then you opened the door and looked about to see if anyone was around. After that I didn’t see you until I’d gone further along the passage, but I saw you carry it into Miss Westall’s room and put it in her wardrobe.’

‘That—that doesn’t explain what happened to my necklace!’

I could see that Armanell was making an effort to retrieve the situation in some way, but it was as though she was aware that her words lacked conviction and that her gambit had not come off.

‘I took your diamond necklace,’ Melinda owned up. ‘I wanted it for Miss Westall to wear at the ball—that’s because I’m her fairy godmother.’ As she spoke she brought her hand from behind her back, revealing a diamond necklace. She thrust it into Armanell’s hands. ‘Here you are—but it’s no use your wearing it! You won’t look half as nice as Miss Westall in it. Anyway, I don’t believe it’s diamonds at all—they’re much too big. I’ll bet they’re only bits of glass.’

There was a long silence when she had finished and I saw Melinda fidget nervously as though for once in her short life she realized the disastrous results of her meddling. She looked at the two grown-ups who were regarding each other so strangely and slunk from the hall.

‘You were quite right, you know, when you said I’d changed towards you,’ Garth said slowly. ‘What was between us was something that had lingered on from former years. But as time passes a man matures: he realizes the real values in life, and that first love doesn’t necessarily survive.’

‘You mean, it’s—it’s over?’ she asked tearfully.

‘Yes, my dear, I’m afraid it is.’

For a moment she stood uncertainly. She was not used to failure and it was plain that she was finding the experience a bitter one.

Then as she met the stony detachment of his expression, I saw her turn and gather up her shining skirts in one hand as she slowly climbed the stairs.

I slipped back into the picture gallery and shutting the panel behind me sped back to my room. I stood for a moment as happiness and doubt flooded over me. He had said he no longer loved Armanell, but this didn’t necessarily mean that he loved me and yet—and yet— There was the sound of cars surging up and doors banging, laughter and chatter. So the first of the guests had arrived. I put on the wig feeling heady with excitement, adjusted the circlet and the high feather, picked up my mask and ran downstairs.

As I approached a bend in the stairs I could see Melinda and Emile who had ensconced themselves in a nook and were watching the arrivals.

‘There are three Columbines and two Harlequins already,’

Melinda told me disapprovingly. ‘And probably there’ll be lots and lots more. That was a very stupid thing to do,’ she said severely.

‘Emile and I aren’t going to have any masked balls when we’re married. We’re just going to have Hallowe’en parties all the time with witches and ghost stories and ducking for apples. I shall supply the apples and Emile’s going to tell the ghost stories: he’s very good at telling ghost stories,’ she said patronisingly.

‘Is that so?’ I said, impressed. This was the first I had heard of this particular talent of Emile’s and I was glad that he had at last found a way of seizing on Melinda’s esteem. ‘I hadn’t heard you were to be married,’ I told her gravely.

‘Oh, we’ve just decided on it,’ she told me. ‘The Comtesse will probably go away now and take Emile with her, but I’ve promised to wait.’

‘You are silly,’ Emile said disgustedly. ‘You’re just making it all up. I don’t want to get married to you, ever—so there!’

‘Oh yes, you will,’ Melinda told him. ‘I’m older than you are and you’ll do as I say. Besides, we’re engaged now. I say so.’

‘Oh, look, Melinda, there’s another Columbine,’ said Emile, instantly diverted.

‘That makes four,’ Melinda giggled. Emile joined in and in a moment the two children were giggling helplessly.

I edged past them and went down and the first thing that caught my eye was Verity’s head looking over the edge of the minstrels’

gallery. Beside her was a masked character in a matador costume which I instantly recognised to be Paul. I made my way up the stairs and turned in through the door of the minstrels’ gallery.

Verity was looking radiant in a dress of deep ruby silk. There was about her an air of self-confidence and suddenly I noticed the ruby on the third finger of her left hand. ‘Congratulate us, Judith, Paul and I are engaged. But only this minute—just before we left for the ball.’

She blushed happily when I congratulated them and admired her ring, then said, ‘Off you go and dance. I’m so happy that I shall be quite all right on my own. I don’t need anyone’s company tonight.’

‘What, not even mine?’ Paul protested, laughing. But eventually, at Verity’s insistence, we were dancing and Paul was saying a trifle sheepishly, ‘I suppose you think I’m a bit of a lightweight, proposing to Verity so soon after—’

‘After telling me that I was the only girl in the world,’ I laughed. ‘It’s a good thing I always knew that Verity was the right girl for you.’

‘You’re right, Judith,’ he said very solemnly. ‘Even when we were quarrelling she meant more to me than—’

‘Than any other girl you took up with, just to show her that you weren’t really hurt by her attitude.’

‘Perhaps that’s it,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘I only know that now we’re engaged at last I feel as if I’d been waiting for this for a long time—and I may say we owe it to you, Judith.’

‘And what had I to do with it?’ I asked.

‘Well, Verity has been quite different to me since she got these orders for her jewellery. It’s as if she’s forgiven me whatever she had against me—although, goodness knows, I don’t know what I’d done to make her so bitter towards me before. But anyway, suddenly it was as if everything was right between us. The way was clear for us to get engaged and—’